


i keep coming back to you (i don't know why)

by weasleyspotter



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, So very very AU, also Grant's Skye's older brother AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 22:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2828276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weasleyspotter/pseuds/weasleyspotter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Normally Jemma doesn't agree to let Skye set her up on dates. </p>
<p>But then again, Skye's never arranged a date for Jemma with her older brother before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i keep coming back to you (i don't know why)

**Author's Note:**

> I seriously thought I wasn't going to write something for wswinter this first prompt, but this little fic made it's way into my head today morning and I was determined to write it. So here we go. The prompt was domestic/civilian AU, and I sort of went with a cliche plot, but it's all I could think of.

i.

Normally Jemma doesn’t agree to Skye setting her up on dates. 

But it takes nearly two years of failed attempts at setting Jemma up, before Skye comes to the idea of setting up Jemma with her older brother. And Jemma isn’t about to miss up an opportunity to go on a date with Grant Ward, even if it has to happen by Skye setting her up. 

Growing up with Skye and subsequently around Grant, she’d always had a not so little crush on him. But he was two years older than her, and fairly popular in high school, and basically knew her only as Skye’s best friend. 

Eventually he moved on to college, and she started to focus more on school, and she was able to put Grant Ward out of her mind. Her crush lessened with intensity, and she had more of a passing interest in Grant now. But she still perked up a bit whenever his name entered in one of Skye’s rambling monologues. 

The less Jemma became interested in her love life, the more Skye’s interest in it grew. After numerous failed set ups, Skye bounded into Jemma’s apartment with a Cheshire grin that Jemma had learnt to fear. 

“I found the perfect guy for you,” Skye said as she skipped around the kitchen. “I know it’s a bit weird, but you remember Grant, my brother?” 

Instantly the protests on Jemma’s lips died. 

“He’s in town, and I was thinking about it, and seriously you two would be perfect for each other. Besides you’ve always had a bit of a crush on him anyway.” Skye explained. 

Jemma’s mouth fell open, “How’d you know?” 

“Please,” Skye scoffed, “Pretty sure Grant was the only one who didn’t know. Anyway,” she brushed off, “I asked him if he’d like to have dinner with you and he seemed pretty excited about it. Well, as excited as Grant gets.” 

It was too good to be true, so Jemma paused. “Did you mislead him into thinking that you both were going to have dinner with me?” 

Skye gave her a guilty look. “Okay, maybe. But I promise he won’t be disappointed. I’ll just make up some excuse before it’s too late to back out.” 

And normally Jemma would force Skye to scrap the plan, because it was wrong. But normally Jemma didn’t get an opportunity with Grant. 

So she sighed and gave in. 

ii.

It takes nearly one hour and many picture messages to Skye’s phone before Jemma decides on a red and black dress with her curls flowing loosely down her shoulder. 

She’s nearly sprinting out of her house because she’s running late and really she can’t be late, it would be a horrible first impression. She catches a taxi and spends the entire ride resisting the urge to peel off her nail polish, a nervous habit.

When the cab pulls up in front of the restaurant, she recognizes him instantly. 

He’s standing in front of the restaurant, hands stuffed into his pockets. He’s wearing a suit, which she knows Skye must have forced him into. He’s taller than she remembers, and suddenly she regrets passing up on the heels because she’s a midget compared to him. He’s aimlessly glancing from side to side, giving her a good view of his side profile, and if she’s correct, he’s only gotten better looking as time has gone on. 

She inhales deeply and steps out of the car. His brown eyes fix on her instantly, and he breaks out into a small welcoming smile. “Hey,” he greets her. 

She’s at a loss. Should she hug him? Would that be too personal? A handshake would be too formal. Screw it, a voice that sounds like Skye’s says in her head, go for it. Taking a chance she steps forward and wraps him a quick hug. 

She plans on pulling away quickly and blowing it off. But his arms wrap around her and he’s so warm that she lingers for a second. “Hey,” she says pulling away, and looking up at him. She has to crane her neck to meet his gaze. “It’s really good to see you again.” 

“You too,” he says, taking a step back from her. “Sorry, Skye couldn’t make it. Something with Trip came up and she had to deal with it.” 

“Oh I know,” Jemma brushes off. Grant raises an eyebrow at her curiously and she instantly corrects her words. “I mean, she texted me about it when I was on my way here.” 

His expression clears up, and he gestures inside the restaurant. “Shall we head in?” 

“Sure,” she moves past him. Just as she passes him, his hand reaches up and lightly grazes the curve of her back, guiding her towards the door. Her back heats up instantly. 

So maybe she isn’t entirely over her crush. 

iii.

Dinner goes surprisingly well considering she doesn’t actually know Grant very well. 

It works mostly like a first date, except that he doesn’t have to ask about her childhood because he knows a fair amount of it. They catch up on their lives since high school. She tells him about her job at Ryder technologies, her work at the lab. He tells her about his abroad, moving from country to country making ends meet on odd jobs before he came back. 

“What are you doing now?” She asks curiously. She knows that he’s moved back to the area, gone back to school, according to Skye. 

“Getting my Masters in Journalism,” he says. 

She’s taken aback. He mentions casually that he kept up a blog, a fact Jemma’s aware of, as Skye pointed her towards Grant’s blog a year back and she’s kept up with it ever since. And he’s a good writer so it’s not much of a surprise, but still. 

“You want to be a reporter?” She asks. 

“I’d like to travel again,” he clarifies, “And tell people about the world.” 

For anyone else’s mouth it would have sounded like a pipe dream, but something told her that Grant genuinely meant what he said.

“That sounds fantastic,” she says. 

He smiles and glances down at his plate, looking a tad bashful. For a moment, she wonders if she’s embarrassed him, but he glances up again. “Did you know I can speak seven languages?” 

iv.

At the end of dinner, they linger over a bottle of wine, neither quite ready to leave yet. 

It’s only when Jemma glances at the clock and realizes that it’s far too late to still be out when she has work the next day. 

Grant is gracious about the whole thing. He pays the bill, flags down a cab for her, and hurriedly asks her to scratch her number on the back of the receipt before she slips into the cab. 

“I’d like to see you again,” he says holding the cab door open. “If you’re free?” 

“Yes.” The word rushes out of her mouth so quickly, she actually flushes with embarrassment. 

His face brightens into a large smile, and he clutches the receipt and her number tighter in his hands. “See you around, Jem.” 

Her stomach warms at the nickname. He’d been the only one to call her Jem growing up, and she had been fiercely protective of the nickname. It’s good to hear it again. 

“Bye Grant.” 

v.

They’re dating for six months when she finally admits that she had a huge crush on him when they were kids. 

He’s quiet for a moment, and strange feeling settles into her so she blows it off. “You probably never noticed me anyway.” 

His eyes glance up at her, and he smirks. “Of course I noticed you. Why do you think I asked Skye to set us up?”

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and kudos if you enjoyed!


End file.
